Amusement apparatus.



H. N. RIDGWAY.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1 90?.

1,027,437, Patefitd May 28, 1912.

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EerZerfL/Z' UNITED STATES PATENT orsion.

HERBERT 1v. RIDGWAY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, nssrelvon ro mnewnir con' s'rnucrron COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR1ORA'DION OFMASSA- CHUSETTS.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratem a'na aa em.

Application filed August 5, 1907. Serial No. 387,011.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT N. RIDGWAY, a citizen of the UnitedSt-ates, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts. c

v This invention relates to an amusement apparatus and especiallyfthat type of such apparatus which includes a chute or inclined plane down which personsmay slide.

The embodiment ofthe invention herein shown is especiallydesigned for persons to slide down in a sitting posture, and the 0bv ject of the invention is to provide a novel I land; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section detail of one endof the mat; Fig. l is a section on the line aaw, Fig. 3, looking toward the left; Fig. 5 i s a section through thechute onthe line y y, Fig. 2, I

The chuteherein shown is especially designed for persons to slide down'in a sitting posture and without the use of any support other than the chute on which to sit. I

prefer to makethe chute with a perfectly smooth bottom and of substantially u-shape in cross section, as shown in-Fig. 5, so that it will be impossible for a person to fall ofi the side of theichute while in theact of; sliding down it. The chute is designated generally by 3. It is arranged at a suitable inclination to permit persons using it to slide rapidly down it, and it is supported on any suitable supporting structure 4. The surface of the chute ispreferablymade perfectly smooth so as to afford aslittle friction as possible. At the upper end of the chute a platform .or passageway 5 is arranged to permit personsv to pass to the chute, and at the lowerfend ofthelchute I propose to place a yieldingly-sustained mat I or other structure onto which the persons may land after theirjourney down the'chute,

and which will be made of such a construction as to prevent such persons from becom-, ing injured in alighting. .The mat I have herein shown is designated 6 and it may be made of any suitable material, although preferably I will use some flexible material. Ihave found from practice that a construetion of rubber and canvas makes a satisfac tory and durable mat, especially when the mat isbuilt up ofjalternate layersofrubber and canvas. The mat is yieldingly supported so asv to form, a ,yieldingvand flexibleplatform forthe persons to lighton." The persons sliding down the chute will havefa motion in the direction of the length of the chute as well as adownward motion at the time that they strike the mat. In other words, they will be moving, inca down wardly-inclined direction at such. times. In order that the mat may receivethe persons discharged from the chute without {giving the latter any unnecessary jar, I-propose to support saidmat so that it can yield in'the direction of the length of the chute and thus move slightly with thepersons when they, strike thereon, and I also propose to sup? port the mat so that the portion thereof which is immediately adjacent the chute-will be held from downward yielding movement while the central portion ,ofthe mat may yield downwardly.

clamped between two clamping bars 7 and these clamping bars have secured thereto a plurality of contracting, spiral springs :8,

which are in turn secured to across bar10 The end of the mat far- I thest from the discharge end of the ohuteis that is connected to fixed supports llfby.

means of the'bolts 12. The otherendqof the mat extends under the chuteand, is; also. clamped between clamping bars to which. contracting spiral springs v8 are connected,-

said springsin turn being secured to a cross bar 10 that is securedto the fixed supports; 11 .by means of bolts 12. I: have pro-j vided means for supportin the mat against; vertical movement at pointsbetween the spring connections 8 at each end, which means are such as to permit a Slightlongi-ff Situated un-j tudinal movementof the mat.

derneath thechute near the dischargefend is a ,fixedrest or support preferably on the form of-a rod or bar over which themat passes and on which it loosely rests. This bar prevents vertical yielding movement of the portion of the mat resting thereon while permitting longitudinal movement thereon as the springs 8 stretch or contract. At the opposite end the mat is supported against vertical movement by means of a suspender 14 which is fastened at its upper end to the fixed supports 11 and at its lower end is secured to the mat in some suitable way at a point inside of the springs 8. This suspender may also be conveniently used as a back stop to prevent persons being thrown against the fixed supports 11, and I have herein shown it as composed of slats 16 which are secured to lengths of wire or cord 15 which are connected at their upper ends to the fixed support 11 and at their lower ends to the clamping bars 7. These slats may be provided with a padding 17 of any suitable material. As herein shown the cord 15 is threaded back and forth through apertures in the clamping bars 7 as clearly seen in Fig. 4L. This construction provides a back stop which is yielding in its nature and also serves as a support for the end of the mat which prevents vertical movement thereof. It will thus be observed that while the mat is yieldingly supported by the springs 8 which permit a longitudinal movement of the mat, yet the mat is held at each end against vertical movement at points inside of the springs 8. hen a person alights on the mat it will give longitudinally slightly to thus gradually break the movement of the person in the direction of the length of the chute and the springs 8 will allow the portion of the mat on which the person alights to yield downwardly sufliciently to break his fall. The mat will thus have two movements, one vertically and the other longitudinally, and the combined movement is such as to cushion the alighting movement of the person in a very effective .way.

The particular manner in which the back stop 14 is made is not essential to my invention.

The chute 3 is formed at its lower end with the upwardly-directed portion 20, and this portion 20 is arranged at substantially the same inclination as, but in an opposite direction from, the main body of the chute. The chute is also substantially uniform in width from one end to the other, and the length. of the chute is such that when a person slides down it, he will acquire sufficient momentum to be carried off the end of the portion 20 in an upward direction and the person will often be thrown some distance from the delivery end of the chute, thus adding greatly to the amusement gained from using the chute or from watching others use it.

21 is a pad situated at the lower end of the chute directly beneath the latter which covers the space between the lower end of the chute and the mat and prevents a person from getting caught in said space.

22 is a supplemental mat which may be placed on top of the mat 6 at the point where the persons generally land. This supplemental mat is of leather and is for the purpose of protecting the main mat 6 from being injured by the heels of persons using the mat.

An apparatus as thus arranged will give the person using it great exhilaration and exercise.

I have not attempted to show herein all embodiments of my invention, but have selected merely the preferred embodiment for illustrating the principle of the invention.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a chute arranged for persons to slide down, said chute having its lower end directed upwardly and being of sufiicient length so that persons sliding down the chute will acquire enough momentum to carry them ofl the upturned end thereof, of a mat beneath the discharge end of the chute, means to sustain said mat for yielding movement in the direction of the length of the chute, and means acting on the mat near each end thereof to prevent vertical movement thereof at such points.

2. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with an inclined chute adapted for persons to slide down and having an upwardly-directed lower end, of a mat beneath the lower end of the chute, springs connected to each end of the mat to support the same for yielding movement longitudinally, and a rigid rest situated beneath the lower end of the chute and on which the mat rests loosely.

3. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a chute having an upwardlyturned lower end, of a mat to receive persons discharged from the chute, means to yieldingly sustain the end of the mat adjacent the chute, fixed uprights at the other end of the mat, bolts carried thereby, a bar extending transversely of the mat and sustained by the bolts, springs interposed between said bar and the mat, and a flexible back stop secured at its upper edge to said fixed supports and at its lower edge to the mat.

4. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with an inclined chute having an up wardly-directed lower end, of a rest extending transversely to the chute and situated beneath the discharge end thereof, a mat extending over said rest, a fixed support beneath the chute, springs interposed between said mat and said fixed support, means to yieldingly sustain the opposite end of the ated at the lower extremity of the chute bei tween the latter and the portion of the mat which extends over the rest.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination with a chute having an upwardlyturned lower end, of a mat to receive persons discharged from the chute, springs connected to the ends of the mat, a bar extending transversely across the mat beneath the same underneath the discharge end of the chute and on which the mat loosely rests,

fixed supports at the ends of the mat, and a flexible back stop secured at its upper end to said supports and at its lower end to the 15 mat. a

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT N. RIDGWAY.

Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

